PTI warns against posing obstacles to SWA peace march

PESHAWAR - Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) provincial leaders Friday denounced what they called the government tactics to create hurdles in its scheduled peace march to South Waziristan Agency, warning that any such attempt could draw dire repercussion.

“We want to convey our message of peace through this march to the entire world and highlight the ground realities and problems being confronted by the tribal people in the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (Fata),” Asad Qaiser, PTI provincial leader, said while speaking at a news conference here at Peshawar Press Club. On the occasion, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) former coordinator from Fata Aysha Gulalay Wazir also announced joining the Imran Khan-led PTI caravan.

Qaiser said that PTI’s peace march aims to bring real issues, facing the tribal people due to security forces’ endless military operations and the US drone attacks. “A large number of innocent people were being killed in the so-called war on terror and in the persistent drone strikes in tribal areas, he deplored. He blamed that the tribal society was deliberately kept backward in almost all sphere due to non-provision of adequate health, and education facilities.

The tribal people, he said were compelled to flee from their respective areas in wake of unjustified military operations in Fata”, he observed. Solution to FATA issue is only way to give a peace message to the entire world through peace march, he said adding tribesmen were more patriotic, because they rendered sacrifices for the motherland.

Expressing concerns over the statements of the government, he said that with such tactics rulers want to bring hurdles in peace march to Waziristan, and also claimed that PTI has no political agenda, rather want to highlight the drone attack issue at international level to sort-out a sustainable solution to the issue.

“I am going to join PTI owing to its dedication and support to end the US drone attacks, security forces military operation and above all a firm stance on resolving Fata issues,” Gulalay said on the occasion. She also supported PTI’s recently announced program on economic and social and political policies under the pro-poor programme. She said that the state utmost duty to provide protection to live and property of the masses, but it was completely failed in this regard. She further added that PTI had accepted this responsibility to take steps for provision justice, protection, and sorting out an amicable solution of FATA issues. Therefore, he said he had decided to join PTI for its similar stance and mission regarding the tribal region.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, provincial secretary information, Saad Abdullah speaking at a separate press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Friday has also expressed grave concern over government tactics to create impediments before the peace march of the party.

Flanked by Sher Bahadur Advocate, and Farhan Advocate, and others, he repel the impression that PTI is holding peace march for gaining political mileage in FATA.

He said that they have no threat from Talibans, but the government might be created any hurdle in way of this peace rally. He asked the government to abstain from creating any hurdles in the peace rally.